Wheel and demountable rim



2 1927. Sept J. G. SWAIN WHEEL AND DEMOUNTABLE RIM inal Filed se myz,1921 INVENTOR.

fist-H1 43 5mm.

' ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 20, 1927. a

.Q'UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFICE,

w JOSEPH G. swam, or Axaon, onio, Assronon TO THE, FIRESTONE s'rEELrnonuors COMPANY, O13 AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

, WHEEL AND DEMOTINTABLE'RIM. I

I original application filed September 2 2, 1921, Serial No. 502,328.Divided and this application filed December 23, 1926.

This invention relates to wheels for automobiles or similar vehicles inwhich there is employed a demountable rim for carrying a pneumatic tire,the object'of the invention being to construct a light and inexpensiveequipment which will satisfactorily serve the purpose to which it is putand which will be easy to manufacture and to :operate.

Another purpose of 'my invention is to perfect arim and felloeconstruction which can be-rolled up out offlat stock, so that specialhot rolled sections will not berequired.

A further object of my invention is to combine a demount-able rim with asteel fel loed wheel to make a light, strong and easily operated unit.As'an additional object, the construction of the means for locking therim and-the wheel from relative circumferential movementhasbeensimplified and the clamping lugs have been improved.

Other objects and advantages will appear] as the description proceeds,it being understood that thevshowing isit'or the purpose of enabling oneskilledin the art to practise the, invention and is not for'the purposeof limiting the invention to the exact form shown. This application isadivision 'ofmy pendingapplication SerialNo." 502,328, filedSeptember22,1921. V- Inthe drawings; 7 a V Figure 1 is a side elevationof a'wheel with the demountable rim thereon;

Figure 2 is a cross section through the felloe and rim taken at thespoke on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross section through the felloe and rim taken at aclamping lug on the line,33 of Figure 1; Figure t is across section atthe valve stem opening;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 4; and

Figure, 6 is a section on the line 66 of Figure 3.

The wheel forming a part of the combination of this invention is formedof a plurality of wooden spokes 1, the inner ends 2 of which are miteredto form the hub of the wheel and the outer ends of which are formed withreduced rounded knobs 3.

a The felloe or fixed rim is indicated by the numeral 4: and is rolledup tram a, strip 97s Serial No. 156,533. I

flat steel so as to havetwo parallel flanges 5 and'6. The base 7 of thefelloe' is formed witha number of pressed out-sockets or cavitiesS inwhich the ends 3 of the spokes '3 in the sockets and to forcethe'mitered ends of the spokes together to form the hub. One flange .5of the steel felloe or fixed mm 18 formed with an outwardly bent flangeor seat 9, which inclines upwardly to form a seat for one side of'therim. The other flange 6 issomewhat lower than the flange 7 and is formedwith an inclined or tapered rim seat 10. a i The demountable tirecarrying rim is indlcated 'as a whole by the numeral 11, being providedwith two tire securing flanges 12. In the form shown, the flanges 12 areofa typedesignedto hold a clinchertire, but it will be understood thatthe invention is not limitedtoa clincher tire carrying rim.

One side of the rim. 11 seats ontheledge sion 13, which seats on thetapered surface 10 oi 'the flange 6.- By rolling the gutter ordepression 13 in the'flat'stock, I am enabled to mount the tire carryingrim on the flanges of unequal height, without using a special steelsection, the rim being rolled up out of flat stock. i

To hold the tire rim in place on the steel felloe, or fixed rim, Iemploy a number of bolts 14 which pass transversely through the twoflanges of the steel felloe, the outer end of each bolt being screwthreaded and receiving a nut 15. On the nut 15 is loosely mounted theside clamp or lug 16, the nut and clamp being rotatively mounted withrespect to one another but prevented from separation by a rib orenlargement 17 which is received within a downwardly turned flange orsocket 18 on the clamp. The inner surface of the rib 17 is tapered orScone shaped as shown at 19 and the inner surface of the socket on thelug is correspondingly tapered. In actual practise there is some 1 playbetween the clamp and the nut so that Ill) thcreiis a sligh t rockingmotionof the clamp on the bolt. The inner surface ofeach clamp isprovided with a tongue or projection which enters into a notch 21 of agreater depth than thicknessoif the tongue, out in the upper surface ofthe flange 6 and on" the upper portion of the clamp is formcda shoulder22, the outer surface or which bears againstrthe tire carrying rimatwaboutthe base of the gutter where it is pressed down from the rim.The sin-face of the clamp between the shoulder 22 and the tongue .20 isrounded so as to pass over the gutter, but not necessarily litthereagainst. The bolt lt inay be provided with lugs or shoulders 23which hearagainst the inner face of the flange 6 and prevent it frombeing bent over toward" the flange 5. The tongue 20 is provided toperform a guiding function in keeping the clamp moving in a straightline inwardly as the nut 15 is tightened on the end of the bolt,a11d thenotch permits rocking movement of the clampon the nut.

:In order to prevent circumferential move ment of the tire rinr on thesteelifelloe or fixed :rim, I propose to use a thimble or sleeve2 lwhich is receivedin the valve stem hole 25 in the rim andwmates with asecond thiinble or sleeve 26 received in the valve stem 1 27 on thefelloc or fixed rim. The two sleeves mate in the manner shown in Figurel, and serve as driverstor the rim and=also=as protectors for thevalvestem.

Thesleev', 24 is made i from steel tubing; andjannned or crimped to formashoulder or ridge28 which seats againstthe lower edge of the flange529,: which is struck downwardly from aroundthc valve-stern hole. Theupper edge oti thesleeve 2% is pressed downwardly around the valvestemhoile 25 as at 30 which looks the sleeve imposition.

i'IhesleeVeQG on the felloeori fixed rim 1s formed with a depressionongrooveBl, in which the edge of thesteel felloe isrecelved rouudincrosssection, while the upper end of the sleeve 26 maybe elliptical with itslong axis placed transversely oi the felloe.

The purpose of this particular a mangoment is that while the rim islocked against oil-cumferential movement about the wheel, a certainamount of relative lateal movement is permitted. The lateral movement ofthe tire rim aids in seating the rim on the wheel and in thedemountingthereof.

lVhat claimed is:

1. In combination, a wheel structure having; a lixed rim, and a the rimreinovably mounted thereon, said wheel rim having parallel flanges ofdillercnt heights, one side of said tire rim seated on the higher olsaid flanges, a continuous gutter rollcdin the tire rim, said gutterseated on. the lower flange, a plurality of separable clamps bearingagainst the side of said tire rim, a shoulder on each said clamp bearingagainst the rim and a tongue of said clamp received in a recess inthcuppcr edge of a flange 011 the wheel rimwhereby the clamp is guidedin a straight line. i

2. lnla wheel structure a fixed rim on the wheel and a the rimrcinovably carried thereon, said fixed rilnhaving' two parallel flanges,av continuous gutter rolled in the based the the rim and seated on oneof said ilangesrand means for forcingthe tire rim on the wheel rim saidmeans comprising a clamping lug, a bolt passing through the l'langesouthelixed rim andthe clamping lug, a nut on the bolt bearing against thelug, a shoulder onthe lug; bearingagarinst the rim at the base ofthegutter, anda tongue on the clamp received inan aperture on the saidflange beneath thegutter.

- JOSEPH e. SWAIN.

